


Anodite in Human's Clothing

by Little_Bunny_fufu



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: Anodites, F/M, Famous, Gwen Anodite, Gwen is Famous too, Gwen is main focus of story, Magic, Mana manipulation, Paparazzi, People interested in alien abilities, Popularity, Reveal, Saving the World, Secret Identity, Talk Shows, They are so cute, gwevin - Freeform, otp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-11 20:05:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19116766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Bunny_fufu/pseuds/Little_Bunny_fufu
Summary: After the Reveal, Ben wasn't the only one to become famous. Gwen, the cousin of Ben Tennyson, also has to deal with the popularity that comes with being a hero with abilities. People are curious to say the least. Follow Gwen as she deals with her new found popularity.





	1. Back to School

**Author's Note:**

> I realized something the other day: When Ben was revealed to be able to transform into aliens, wouldn’t that mean Gwen and Kevin were revealed also?

Ben’s identity had just been revealed a couple of weeks ago so it was basically the only thing anyone was talking about. People were constantly following him around and taking pictures, so it was no surprise that someone caught one of their alien fights on camera. What was a surprise was the uproar it caused. The video showcased not only Ben using the Omnitrix, but also Gwen and Kevin using their powers. The public was amazed with their abilities just as they were with Ben’s. Many were asking how they got these powers and if they too were aliens. Now Ben wasn’t the only one being followed around. 

Walking into school, Gwen could feel several pairs of eyes following her. All of the teens who had noticed her were watching curiously. ‘Well at least they aren’t scared,’ she thought, trying to stay positive. No one yet knew how her powers worked, so they didn’t know she wasn’t technically human… for now. With the way secrets were being revealed, she doubted that secret would last long. 

She spotted Ashley, one of her friends, near her locker. One of her only friends. With all of the Alien fighting and missions, Gwen didn’t have much time to hang out. This led to many of her friends falling away. Ashley was one of the few who didn’t care if they didn’t constantly hang out. Gwen was thankful to her. While she never told her about the Plumber stuff, Ashley was always there to remind Gwen of the human side of things. Now especially.

“Hey Ashley, what’s up?” Gwen asked, trying her best to act casually. It didn’t work.

“What’s up? WHAT’S UP?! I just found out my friend has freaking awesome powers and that’s all you have to say?!” Surprisingly she seemed more excited than angry. She was bouncing up and down like a hyperactive puppy. 

Her little outburst brought more pairs of eyes towards Gwen. Ugh, now she knew how Ben felt. It was very unnerving and slightly embarrassing to be at the center of attention like this.

“All right, calm down. No need to shout.” She stopped bouncing and focused on Gwen. “I want to apologize for not telling you. I’m so sorry. It’s just not really something you could bring up in a normal conversation. Besides, I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me.” She really did feel bad. Ashley had always been there when she needed it, and she had never told her about the alien side of her life. 

“It’s all right. I wished you had told me, but I get it,” she responded. Then she suddenly got excited all of again, a look of realization spread over her smiling face. “Is that why you stopped hanging out as often a couple years ago? You were busy fighting aliens this whole time! I just thought you suddenly went antisocial.” 

Gwen laughed at that assumption. “Oh I was being plenty social, if you count helping my cousin beat up invading aliens social.” She cracked a smile before going serious. “I’ll tell you all about it during lunch, but we need to head to class now. The bell will ring soon.”

They both quickly grabbed what they would need for class and said goodbye. Gwen was aware of the multitudes of people watching her the entire time. This was going to be fun. That was sarcasm if you didn’t notice.

 

\---------------------------------------------------

 

Lunch couldn’t come sooner for Gwen. All day she was aware of the whispers that floated past her and the gazes of her classmates. Several of her peers had asked her about her powers and fighting aliens, but she would always make an excuse and run off. Even her teachers were a little nervous whenever she raised her hand to answer a question or ask something. 

She rushed outside to her and Ashley’s usual eating spot to find her already there, impatiently waiting. Her expression lit up when she saw Gwen making her way over. Gwen knew she was excited for answers and stories.

“There you are! I’ve been distracted all day thinking about what secrets you are planning on telling me! How did you get your powers? How often do you fight aliens? Are you an alien? How do your powers work? Are you able to mph hmthump.” Gwen cut her off by slapping a hand over her mouth.

“Woah there, one question at a time. I don’t think I can remember all that.” Ashley looked annoyed so Gwen removed her hand.

“All right how did you get your powers?” 

“Well it started when I was ten.” Gwen spoke about how she discovered she could do ‘magic’ and cast spells. How she had taught herself the mystic arts. That was the easy stuff. It got a little more difficult to explain when she mentioned meeting her grandmother, Verdona, and learned of her heritage. How she could use manna because she was made up of manna. She had yet to mention her Anodite form and how long she would have to leave earth for, and she probably never would.

“Wait so your grandmother is an alien?! That’s so cool! Does that mean everyone in your family has cool alien powers?”  
Gwen laughed at the thought. “No. The Alien genes are something you either get or you don’t. I have one cousin who also has the ‘spark,’ but she is a brat. We’ve never gotten along.”

“Wow, I have a friend who is part alien. Now that is cool. Are you going to tell other people?”

She winced at the thought. It had taken so long just to explain the Ashley. She didn’t want to have to explain everything again. “I guess I’ll have too eventually. This isn’t going to be very fun. Everyone is going to steer clear of me once they know I’m not quite human.”

Ashley just shook her head “You kidding? Everyone is going to want to be your friend now! Who wouldn’t want to say they know an alien?”

Gwen sighed. She would almost rather be avoided than mobbed. Oh, well. She kicks alien butt all the time, she can handle a few humans gushing over her… she hopes.


	2. The Talk Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen goes on a talk show by herself while Ben and Kevin are on a mission. She's nervous to say the least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is cross-posted from FF. I'm the Author not a fake! :)

Gwen nervously wiped her sweaty palms on the skirt of her dress while standing backstage. She had never done anything like this before. Speaking in front of large audiences wasn’t something she did a lot, let alone on live television! It was nerve wracking for sure. It was usually Ben who did all of the talking in front of the press considering he was the “Superhero,” but Ben wasn’t here right now so the task to do this interview had fallen on her.

“You’re on in two, Ms.Tennyson,” some assistant helpfully supplied. Great. Two minutes until she will be having numerous questions fired at her by a peppy tv host. She wished the guys were here. Why did they have to go on a mission without her? She’d make sure to give them an earful when they got back.

She nervously straightened her dress and checked her reflection in a mirror that had been helpfully supplied, then marched over to where she was going to walk out. She just need to be as confident as she was in battle. Only she would rather be fighting aliens than this.

“Next on our show we have a special guest for you guys! The cousin of none other than Ben Tennyson, teen hero, and a member of Ben’s team, Ms. Gwen Tennyson!” A sliding panel opened in front of Gwen and several stage hands ushered her out. She put on her happiest smile and waved as her eyes adjusted to the bright stage lights. The host, a man name Ian Shade, stood from his chair and led her to a long couch center stage. Once she was settled he quickly plopped back down in his own armchair and leaned forward eagerly.

“It’s so wonderful to meet you Gwen! When I heard the studio managed to get an interview with you I nearly wet myself with excitement!” The audience laughed and Gwen gave a nervous chuckle.

“Please hold it until commercial.” The crowd laughed at Gwen’s joke and Ian’s grin seemed to grow even bigger, if that was even possible.

“Now Gwen I’d like you to tell us about yourself. Other than the fact that you and Ben are related, we know hardly anything about you. When did you first start helping your cousin?”

Gwen smiled as she let herself be taken back in her memories. “Well it all started when Ben first found the Omnitrix…” She proceeded to explain how she had been the voice of reason to her, at the time, irresponsible cousin long before she discovered her own powers and could help.

“So your powers have nothing to do with aliens?” Ian and the audience faces were pictures of interest. Gwen blushed a little at the question and attention she was receiving.

“Well not exactly…” She nervously bit her lip. “Around a year ago Ben and I found out that our grandmother is, in fact, an alien called an Anodite. Let me tell you, that was an interesting family reunion.” 

Gasps and murmurs came from the Audience at this news. Ian didn’t even hesitate to think of his next questions. “So does this mean Ben also has your abilities? What exactly are your abilities? What is an Anodite?”

She thought over the questions for a moment, very conscious of the suspense around her and the zooming in of the cameras. As if getting closer would help catch her words better. She shook her head. “Ben does not share in my abilities to manipulate mana.” She saw Ian opening his mouth in another question but quickly cut it off. “Mana is life energy. It’s in every living things and is often used in what is known as the practice of magic. When descended from an Anodite, you either get the powers or you don’t. As for what Anodites are, they are beings made entirely out of mana. W... they are beings of immense power and live incredibly long lives.” Gwen tried to hide her panic. She had hoped no one had noticed her slip up when she had started to say ‘we’ instead of ‘they.’ 

“This is fascinating!” Exclaimed Ian as he bounced in his chair like an excited kid who had just been told that they were getting a cool toy or something. “What does an Anodite look like?” 

Gwen could’ve showed them right then and there by stripping off her human form, but decided otherwise. She wanted to be seen as normal as possible. “Image a humanoid shaped, purple fluorescent light bulb, and you’d be close.”

“Is there any way to show us?” The crowd leaned forward in anticipation. Gwen wrinkled her brow in thought. Perhaps there was a way without blowing her cover. 

“There is something I can try…”

Ian motioned frantically for her to continue. “By all means go for it.”

She cocked an eyebrow at his enthusiasm before getting into a more comfortable position on the couch. “I’m going to conjure a mental image of an Anodite using my mana. You might want to lower the lights, it’s gonna get bright.” Stage hands moved quickly to follow her request as Gwen closed her eyes and focused on the mana around her. Slowly the air in front of her began to glow a deep purple and magenta. It coalesced into a stunning image of a glowing woman floating a foot off the ground. Gasps of awe could be heard throughout the entire studio. When Gwen opened her eyes, she saw Ian gaping awestruck at the visage in front of him. Little did they all know that this was an exact replica of Gwen’s Anodite form. This was her. She let the replica fad after another moment of awe. 

It appeared Ian’s mind had gone blank of questions and the timer said that they still had two minutes until commercial, so Gwen took pity on him and started talking with no prompt from the host. “Anodites can disguise themselves as human and some (like my grandmother) love visiting Earth. Anodites love parties, and according to my grandma, Earth has amazing ones.”

This seemed to jog Ian out of his stupor and back into his happy mood. “Well this was certainly an enlightening talk! Who would have thought Earth would be party central! I do hope we can do this again! Maybe next time we can corner your elusive cousin and that even more elusive other partner of yours. Is there anything you’d like to say before we end here?”

“Just one thing, Ian.” Gwen looked into the closest camera before continuing. “Just because we are descended from Aliens, does not make us any less human. We still think and feel like you do.” She gave an encouraging smile. “Don’t treat us differently because, even though our ancestry says otherwise, Earth is still our home and we fight to defend it.”

Gwen said farewell to Ian and the commercials rolled. She left feeling much more confident than when she had come in. Maybe that interview was a good idea after all.


	3. A Date with Fame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin surprises Gwen with a romantic evening, but will their fame get in the way?  
> AKA the Gwevin chapter. You're welcome.

Gwen was beginning to really regret going on that talk-show. Ever since she had gone on the air, she hadn’t had a moment of peace. Everywhere she went, reporters and photographers followed. In order to avoid the spotlight, she had turned to teleporting or using an invisibility spell. All it did was intrigue them more when she vanished. Ben was still the most sought after by the media, but she was fast becoming a close second.

“Ready for our date, Babe?” Kevin came out of what he called a ‘bedroom’ attached to his garage. He had on a clean shirt under his leather jacket, new jeans, and some cologne that Gwen really liked. For Kevin, that was about as fancy as it got.

“Why are you asking me?” Gwen was leaning against his green and black car, dressed in a tight blue dress and black heels. Kevin was being an amazing boyfriend and taking her somewhere fancy. Where? She had no clue, it was supposed to be a surprise. “I’ve been ready for twenty minutes.”

Kevin chuckled. “I know, just messin’.” He grabbed his keys off the hook, then went and opened the passenger door for his girlfriend. Gwen smiled at his show of manners and gracefully climbed in. Kevin shut the door and then got into the driver's seat. Just to show off he revved the engine, earning an eye roll from Gwen. “You ready to find out where we’re going?”

“Yes!” Gwen exclaimed. “I can’t believe you’ve managed to keep this secret from me. Even Ben hasn’t cracked.”

“That’s because I didn’t tell him,” he said grinning victoriously. “We both know how bad your cousin is at keeping secrets.”

She punched his arm. “You and I both know it wasn't his fault his identity was revealed.”

“Yeah, yeah. It was that twerp’s faults. I still can’t believe a kid of all people managed to figure it out.”

Gwen shrugged. “Yeah well, because of it, earth has been much more welcoming to aliens. People know that if an alien goes rogue here on earth, the great Ben Ten will take care of them.” 

Kevin pulled into the city and sped along Main Street. “Don’t forget about us.” A large smile took over his face. “I don’t mind kicking a little alien butt either.” Suddenly his grin slid off of his face and he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal. Gwen was pushed back into her seat with the added acceleration. 

She looked at Kevin in confusion. “What’s wrong Kev, are we running late?”

Kevin eyed the rear view mirror. “We have a tail.” He jerked the wheel to the left and crossed two lanes of traffic to make a left turn through an intersection. Cars honked at them and a man screamed out his window. 

Gwen twisted in her seat to look out the back window and saw an old sedan attempt to pull the same maneuver Kevin had pulled, with limited success. They had almost made it before a small truck t boned the sedan. With a muttered spell Gwen’s eyes glowed purple and were magically sharpened so she could view the accident. She could see that both drivers were all right, just a little bit shaken up. With her magic vision, she also noticed an expensive camera in the sedan. “Great, our tail was a photographer.”

A deep laugh came from the driver’s seat as Gwen twisted back to face the right way. “Man those paparazzi are getting more daring by the day.” He whistled as he viewed the accident through his mirrors. “Those dents are gonna be hard to get out.”

Gwen began to scan the surrounding cars and passerbys for anymore signs of cameras. Years of watching her back for attacks and freaks had honed her skills of observation. So far, so good. The pessimist inside of her told her that that wouldn’t last forever. She made her fears known to her boyfriend. “Kevin, aren’t you scared that they’ll ruin our date?”

That wiped the smirk off of his face. “They better not,” he growled. His grip tightened on the steering wheel. It was sweet he wanted their date to go well, and it made her happy that he cared so much. 

She placed a hand on his tense shoulder reassuringly. “It’s alright. I’m sure whatever you have planned will be amazing.” They shared a loving smile and then continued driving. Where? Gwen still didn’t know. Kevin took one hand off of the wheel and held her smaller hand in his. The rest of the drive was in silence, both occupants of the car observing those around them, looking for more tails.

The car slowed down and turned into a parking garage. “Please tell me this garage isn’t the place of our romantic evening,” she deadpanned. 

“You really have no patience.” Kevin couldn’t help but poke fun at his gorgeous girlfriend. She glared at him so he continued. “Don’t worry, this is only where we’re stashing the car. The place we’re going is much nicer,” They pulled into a spot on the bottom most level. Kevin got out and opened the passenger side door. “Milady.”

Gwen giggled as she took his hand to help her get out. “Why thank you good sir.” Holding hands, the walked up a few flights of stairs, then strode across the street. 

“Here we are babe.” Kevin pulled her to a stop in front of a restaurant, if it could be called that. The building was made out of stacked shipping containers. They were askew and stacked off center with some of the sides replaced with glass the other walls were painted with murals. It was unlike any restaurant she had ever seen. That didn’t mean it was ugly though. Quite the opposite in fact. It was beautiful. Warm lights diffused through the glass walls giving off a welcoming feeling. Did Kevin really pick this place? It was amazing.

Kevin pulled her out of her stupor and led her through the front doors. “Levin, table for two.” The hostess smiled and got them a waitress who gave them a table on the second floor with a great view out the window. She left them with their menus as she got them something to drink. Gwen saw that there were murals inside as well. They were all car related. That made her laugh and made a bit more sense as to why Kevin chose this place.

“Ok, I admit it, this is amazing. You’ve really outdone yourself this time Levin.” 

He smiled broadly. “See? Wasn’t this worth the wait?”

She reached across the table and held his hands. Gwen couldn’t believe how sweet her boyfriend was. Sure he had a hard outer shell and tended to get involved with the wrong crowd, but underneath that he was a caring and kind individual. “Definitely.”

The waitress returned with their drinks and took their orders. The rest of the night was heaven. They spoke about anything and everything. Aliens, school, cars, friends, family, and just life. The food was also amazing. Amid the romantic atmosphere, they couldn’t help but lean in for a kiss. Everything was perfect, until the flashes began. 

Both of their heads swiveled to look out of the window down at the street. Outside stood several strangers holding cameras and taking pictures of them. There were at least eight of them just snapping away. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” growled Kevin. He looked pissed. He began to rise from his seat, never taking his eyes off of the photographers. 

Gwen grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. “Kevin, don’t,” she warned. 

“They’re ruining our date! How can you take this?!” He was fuming angrily. Gwen smoothed his clenched fists and smiled kindly. 

“All they’re doing is taking pictures,” she assured. “Nothing has been ruined.” It did what she thought would happen. Kevin released a breath and relaxed back into his seat, all tension leaving his body. 

“I’m sorry Babe. These photographers are just really starting to get on my nerves. I really don’t like being followed.”

She smiled and scooted closer. “Well how about you and I give them something to take pictures of?” She was feeling daring. Kevin seemed to get her hint and closed the distance between their lips. The kiss was long and a little bit sexy if she was to be honest. From behind her closed eyelids, she could see the flashes of cameras. She broke off the kiss before things got out of hand and giggled. “I love when you read my mind.”

He stroked her cheek. “And I love when you have great ideas.”

Gwen looked down at their finished plates and then glanced back at the paparazzi. “How about we get out of here? Just drive around in your car like we always do.”

Kevin looked at Gwen like she was a goddess. “This is why I love you.” That made her blush as red as her hair. 

Kevin paid for their meal and they ran out of the building holding hands. The photographers continued taking pictures of them as they bolted past, laughing. They were going to cross the street when Gwen realized that it probably wasn’t a good idea to have the camera men follow them to the car. 

“Wait Kevin.” He looked at her confusedly. She pulled him in for another kiss and summoned her mana around them. In a flash of purple light they were gone, leaving behind several befuddled and awestruck photographers. 

Another purple light appeared inside of Kevin’s vehicle as they reappeared in their seats. Grinning like the maniac he is, Kevin put the car into reverse and sped out of the garage, past the paparazzi, and onto the free road.

\----------------------------------------------------

Gwen woke up the next morning to the sound of her front door slamming open and loud footsteps on the stairs. She was just beginning to wonder what was going on when her bedroom door exploded open, her cousin stood there panting.

“Ben!” she exclaimed. She had jolted out of bed, ready for a fight when her door had opened. “What the heck are you doing?” 

“Check the news,” he panted.

“What?” She was far too tired to be able to comprehend what was happening.

Ben unlocked his phone and opened up his news app. He didn’t even have to scroll down and search to find what he was looking for. “Here,” he tossed the phone to her which she caught no problem. “See for yourself.”

Gwen rolled her eyes at her cousin’s behavior but did what he asked. She looked down and nearly choked at what she saw. There, as the number one trending story, was an article about her and Kevin’s relationship. And the picture was, you guessed it, a picture of them kissing. It was an amazing picture if nothing else. The one who took it had caught them kissing just before Gwen’s magic had taken affect so they were perfectly haloed by purple energy. It was an incredibly flattering and beautiful picture and she would’ve loved it had it not been shown to everyone in the world. Scrolling down she saw dozens of other pictures taken throughout their night. “Crap.”

“Yeah that’s an understatement.” Ben had caught his breath and was now leaning against her doorway. He grinned mischievously. “I guess you are now the more popular Tennyson.”

She just groaned. “My parents are going to freak.” 

“Another understatement.” He was positively beaming. “By the way your phone is blowing up. You must’ve left it on silent because I tried to call you before running over.” She looked over and sure enough her phone was flashing like a strobe light. Twitter, texts, Instagram, all of them had innumerable notifications. 

“I can’t believe this is my life.” She sank back into her bed and rolled under her covers, hiding from the world.

“Look on the bright side, 'Gwevin' is now the number one trending couple in the United States. Maybe even overseas.” Gwen let loose a scream into her pillows as Ben cackled in glee. Gwen wished she could just disappear.


	4. Granny's in Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Gwen's Grandma has come for a visit, at their school, and she's not exactly hiding. Why is she here and does it spell trouble?

“Miss Tennyson, could you please answer the question?” Gwen jerked her head up guiltily and tried not to look too embarrassed as the rest of the class laughed. She had been studying a new spell that she had managed to get her hands on from a questionable source. Gwen knew she should've been paying attention in class but the weight of the heavy parchment in her book bag had been a constant distraction throughout the day. She had caved during her last period, hiding the ancient paper in between the pages of her physiology textbook. Mrs. Mitchell's voice had been lulling her to sleep so she had decided she might as well do something productive during her physiology class. Now she was facing the consequences. 

Gwen did her best to casually hide the spell from any prying eyes by carefully closing the book and looked to the front at the board. Nothing there helped her decipher what she was supposed to be answering. 

“I, I don't know ma'am. I’m sorry,” she apologized and sat up straight in her seat. The last thing she wanted was for the teacher to think of her as a bad student. Grades were vitally important to Gwen and she couldn't let her impatient behavior affect them. 

Mrs. Mitchell gave her a sly smile and wink. She seemed to find it humorous, busting students who didn't pay attention. “Maybe you should start paying attention then.” She turned and addressed the rest of the sleepy class. “That goes for all of you, too. We only have ten minutes left of the school day so let's power through!” The class groaned collectively but dutifully payed closer attention as the young teacher finished her lesson and outlined their homework assignment due in two days, as well as reminding them of the test they would be taking next week. 

The moment the bell rang it was a mad scramble for the door. Gwen hung back as the majority of the class pushed and shoved to get out into the hallway. She took her time, carefully folding the parchment into her text book and packing the rest of her stuff away slowly. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket as Gwen slung her bag over her shoulder and she had been reaching for it when a panting Ashley tumbled into the classroom.

“Gwen,” she gasped. It looked like she had ran to catch Gwen before she could leave. “You need to come out front now!” 

Gwen wrinkled her brow in confusion as she continued to pull out her phone. Looks like she missed a call from Ben. “Why?” she asked while sending a text to her cousin, asking what was up. She wasn’t too worried about whatever had gotten Ashley so excited. The last time she had ran to Gwen to take her something ‘important,’ it had been to see an obese pitbull that had taken up residence across the street of the Mr. Smoothy.

“Some crazy, old lady is out front wearing a cloak and asking about you!” Now that got her attention. Was it… no it couldn’t be.

Gwen took a deep breath and closed her eyes, stretching her magic to the front of the school. Sure enough, it brushed against a familiar, powerful energy. “Crap.” She didn’t even look at her phone when Ben replied to her query, already bolting into the thinning crowds of students in the hallway. Ashley followed close behind, loudly asking who the woman was and why Gwen was reacting this way. Gwen didn’t answer, too busy weaving through the other students around her. 

She crashed through the front doors, temporarily being blinded by the bright sunlight. Blinking rapidly, her vision cleared, and Gwen frantically searched the crowd hoping to find the woman before she did anything too drastic or crazy. She didn’t even have to look hard- a large group surrounded a woman with short, gray hair who was wearing a dark blue cloak. Ben was currently trying to do crowd control, attempting to shoo the curious students away from the woman who made no sign of wanting to move.

“Gwen! Kiddo!” Gwen groaned as the woman waved at her excitingly, drawing the crowd’s attention to her instead. She also didn’t miss the paparazzi who tended to hang out around town nowadays who were snapping pictures of the situation close by.

Ashley had caught up to Gwen just in time to here the greeting. “So, who is she?” she panted, yet again having run across the school.

Gwen grimaced slightly. “My Grandma, Verdona.” Ashley looked shocked. She new that Gwen only had one living grandma, she had told her herself, and that was the alien one. With increased interest, she studied the elderly lady, trying to spot anything alien about her. Besides the cloak she appeared to be an ordinary old lady you would see doing jazzercise or speed walking down the street. Not a glowing alien made of pure energy capable of raising Hell if she was in the mood for it.

Ben ran over quickly, relief showing clear on his face. “Thank goodness you’re here. We need to get her out of here before she does something crazy and you know she only listens to you.”

“What do you mean, crazy?” Ashley looked like she had so many questions.

Gwen just sighed. “Let’s just say she doesn’t have the same moral compass that us humans have and leave it at that.” 

Ben took his cousin’s hand and pulled her away from her friend and towards the older woman, who seemed to be basking in the attention she was getting if the grin on her face was anything to go by. When they reached her, she threw her arms open wide and embraced her granddaughter. “Gwen! I am so happy to see you. We have some catching up to do!” 

Despite herself Gwen found herself smiling. Their relationship may have started a bit rocky, but she really did love her Grandma and the attention she got from her. “Hi Grandma. It’s good to see you, but can I ask what you are doing here?” She gestured to the school, curious to know why she had chosen the school as a meeting place. Aliens were usually a bit more cautious about being out in the open, disguised or not. 

Verdona’s head cocked innocently, only betrayed by her eyes that were filled with mischief. “What, a grandmother can’t pick up her two favorite grandkids from school?” 

The crowd murmured, many voices whispering to each other. They were probably remembering the talk show Gwen had been on just a month ago where she had shared that her grandmother was and Anodite.

Hearing the sound of the paparazzi cameras flashing, Gwen decided to humor her and not start a fight in front of so many onlookers.. “Absolutely, although they usually call ahead beforehand.” 

Verdona laughed at Gwen’s sass. “Well, as you very well know, I’m not a typical grandma.” The student body seemed to be vibrating with anticipation. It seemed that they had realized exactly who this was. It wasn’t everyday you got to say you met an alien.

Verdona clapped her hands together in excitement. “Now, for why I’m here. I have decided it is time you get some actual Anodite training!” 

Gwen felt her heart drop into her stomach. She couldn’t have this argument again, not in front of so many people. The last time Gwen had turned down going with her grandma, turned down leaving her human form behind, they had almost completely destroyed her house, and that was them trying to hold back. She really didn’t want to break her school over a family disagreement. “Grandma, I thought we already talked about this,” she hissed, her voice lowered to try to avoid the curious onlookers from listening in.

Verdona waved her hand in a dismissing manner and interrupted Gwen before she could say anything else. “I know, I know. You want to stay with your family and don’t want join me on Anodyne, so I’ve decided to just come and teach you some of the basics.” She winked. “Not that you need much help. You’re a natural Gwen.” 

Gwen was shocked, and flattered. Honestly, it didn’t sound like a bad deal. No, sacrifices required except some time. Plus, it would mean spending more time with her grandma, someone who understood her and her powers. Besides, how could she ever turn down an opportunity to learn and improve in her magic. “When do we start?”

Her grandmother grinned widely, looking so happy she looked like she was glowing… she was actually glowing. Dangit! Purple light radiated from her, causing those who stood nearby to move back hurriedly to what they thought to be a safe distance. Several had yelled in surprise and shock. “No time like the present kiddos! Come with us Ben, we could use a guinea pig to practice with.”

Laughing, he shook his head ruefully. “Sure I have nothing better to do today. Might as well act as a test dummy. Just promise I’ll return home the same as I left it.” He wrinkled his nose and continued saying, “I don’t think my parents would like me coming home as a toad or something.”

“That’s the spirit Ben! And don’t worry, I’ll keep the transformations to a minimum,” she winked. “Come on kids, let’s go!” With a wave of her hand a swirling portal opened next to them. More cameras snapped photos and some students were even filming at this point. Maybe the story of their Grandma visiting will replace the story of her and Kevin on the news that was still trending after two long weeks. It was getting downright embarrassing seeing pictures of them kissing everywhere they went. Any story would be better as a replacement.

Before she went through the portal, she turned and waved goodbye to Ashley who was still standing nearby. Then Verdona grabbed their hands and pulled her grandkids into the portal, leaving a crowd of awestruck students behind. They had all known they were going to school with heroes, but seeing that upclose had really made it set in just how unordinary their classmates were.

Meanwhile, the paparazzi were having a field day. This story of the Tennyson’s Grandmother paying her grandkids a visit and mentoring Gwen was sure to get lots of attention. And if Ben came home that night with Bright green hair and a slight limp, well, Gwen still had a ways to go with mastering the spells Verdona had given her to practice. She had left soon after the sun had set with a promise to return soon to continue their private lessons. Gwen fell asleep with a smile never leaving her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your support of this fic! Thank you GwevinGal and RenkonNairu for the awesome comments. I’ve been trying to update regularly, but due to work they might be a bit more spaced out. Do not worry! I will continue to write this fic until I am satisfied with where it goes. Please let me know if you liked it by giving it a kudos or commenting so I know if I’m pleasing my audience ;)   
> P.s. Verdona will return!


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